ČKD (company)

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Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk
Founded 1927
Founder(s) Merging of two smaller companies
Headquarters Czech Republic
Products Trams
ČKD Tatra-T3 tram car in Kiev. T3 was the most successful ČKD tram manufactured from 1960 to 1989; 13991 units were sold worldwide

ČKD (Českomoravská Kolben-Daněk) was one of the largest engineering companies in the former Czechoslovakia and today's Czech Republic.

ČKD was formed in 1927 from the merger of two smaller companies, Českomoravská-Kolben and Breitfeld-Daněk.

From 1927 until 1929 ČKD's products included a motorcycle designed by Jaroslav František Koch. It was an advanced four-stroke single-cylinder unit construction double overhead camshaft design of 500cc. It was sold under the marque BD, thus perpetuating the Breitfeld-Daněk identity. In 1929 ČKD sold its motorcycle business to Praga Hostivař, which re-branded the motorcycles under the Praga marque. It was one of the main suppliers to the Czechoslovak state of military vehicles during the 1930s.

During the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in World War II, the company was renamed BMM (Böhmisch-Mährische Maschinenfabrik AG) and manufactured arms for the Wehrmacht. The company's most notable products in this era were a light tank of the company's own design – the Panzer 38(t) – and the Jagdpanzer 38(t) tank destroyer, which was built on the Panzer 38(t)'s chassis.

After the war, ČKD was nationalized and became one of the world's leading producers of trams. These were produced by its subsidiary company, ČKD Tatra (created in 1963),[1] which also manufactured metro cars and diesel locomotives, that were exported into other socialist countries. One such example from the T-series of Czech locomotives was exported into the USSR and given a Russian designation "ЧМЭ" (ChME3) there. In the socialist era ČKD employed up to 50 000 people.

After 1989 with worldwide economic and political changes the company lost many of its traditional trade outlets in Central and Eastern Europe, mainly in former countries of Soviet Union. In 1994 the company was privatized by the Czech government and transformed into a holding company. But new management was unsuccessful and in 1998 ČKD holding was close to bankruptcy. Some companies went bankrupt, others went back to state ownership through its debts to state-owned bank IPB. The state sold some companies separately to new owners, most notably the 2001 sale of the transport company, ČKD Dopravní systémy (CKD Transportation Systems, known until 1997 as ČKD Tatra or simply Tatra), to Siemens AG's Czech subsidiary, Společnost kolejových vozidel (SKV),[2] finalized in February 2002. The remainder of CKD Holding (along with the brand ČKD) was sold to the Czech company 11 FITE in 2004.

Known Products

  • St vz 39 medium tank
  • LT vz. 34 light tank
  • Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) light tank
  • BS-80 narrow gauge steam locomotive
  • ChME3 locomotive
  • T 466.3 diesel locomotive
  • T 434.0 locomotive
  • T 478.3 locomotive
  • T-669 locomotive
  • R1 Metrocar
Tramcars produced by ČKD Tatra in Prague
Standard trams
Articulated trams
Low-floor trams
  • RT6N1
  • RT6S
  • RT8D5

See also

References

  1. ↑ Pattison, Tony (ed.) (1999). Jane's Urban Transport Systems 1999-2000, p. 409. Couldon, Surrey (UK): Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0-7106-1921-9.
  2. ↑ "Siemens invests in Czech Republic". Tramways & Urban Transit, December 2001 issue, p. 462. Ian Allan Publishing.

External links

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